Turning the Tables
by CityBS
Summary: The great Seto Kaiba gets struck by lightning and wakes up as... a dog? And then a certain blond 'mutt' named Joey finds him and takes him home, unknowing of his true identity. R for semi yaoi situations, language, and blood. A bit angsty and depressin
1. Unexpected

Turning the Tables 

Chapter One: Unexpected

AN: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, although I wish I did.  First chapter will be much shorter than the others… it's more of an into or prologue than anything else.

Damn the late driver.  He'd need to be fired.  And damn the long walk back to the Kaiba estate from school.

Those were the things on the famous (or infamous) Seto Kaiba's impressive mind.  Gods, but he hated to walk through the city like this.  He strode along, keeping his electric blue eyes straight ahead, his arms crossed.  He hadn't had a stellar day in the first place, and now his imbecile of a driver forgot to pick him up.  His mouth turned down into a scowl as he heard low rumblings of thunder.

The billionaire walked a bit faster as big fat raindrops started spattering down onto his head and back from behind.  He was definitely not in the mood to be caught in a rainstorm… after all, he had business meetings to attend to in the evening, and he couldn't afford to fall prey to the weather and catch a cold before then.

The chocolate-haired man increased his pace again as he heard a loud crash of thunder very nearby.  He became a bit unsettled by all the loud explosions of noise, and he wasn't normally one to become nervous at all.

/_Calm down, Kaiba,/_ he told himself;_ /it's just a pathetic little storm…/_

Still, the young CEO was getting ever more jumpy, and snapped at the few pedestrians on the abandoned streets that were unfortunate enough to get in his way.  He ducked into an alley shortcut to his estate, and was suddenly frozen to the spot as a bolt of lightning exploded through his body, making his back arch.  The billionaire let out a pained yell as the electric currents coursed through him before collapsing on the pavement, unconscious._  
            _

At the Kaiba estate, Mokuba was getting increasingly worried for his brother.  Seto had promised he'd be home by four today… after all, it was his little brother's birthday.  And he had always known that Seto kept his promises.  All of them.

He knew that his beloved big brother would _never_ forget his birthday, or any promise he made to him.  He truly felt a bit sorry for Seto.  He knew that his brother only acted the way he did so that he wouldn't have to do it himself… yep, that was Seto.  Always worried about him instead of himself.

So Mokuba was scared.  The clock's hands showed that it was half-past four.  Seto would never miss his birthday for the world… so that could only mean that something terrible had happened to him…

_AN: Painfully short, but I just wanted to set the stage for y'all. ;)_


	2. Transformation

Turning the Tables 

Chapter Two: Transformation

_AN: I own nothing.  Except for the world… bow before me!_

Pain.

Pain all over.

Seto slowly opened his eyes, amazed to be alive.  He tried to get to his feet, but something didn't feel right… he fell over with a yelp.

_/Wait.  That wasn't my voice…!/  _Kaiba looked down at himself and would have cried if he could.

Big floppy paws.  A long tail.  Short, smooth chocolate colored fur covering his body.  Large black nose in front of his eyes, and an almost painfully acute sense of smell.

_/Dear Ra…!  I'm a dog!/_

Meanwhile, Mokuba was calling the Turtle Game Shop.  He waited anxiously until someone picked up, and immediately started talking very quickly when he realized it was Yami on the other end.

"Seto should be home by now but he's not and it's my birthday and he promised and something's gotta be wrong!"

Despite his amazement at the speed at which Mokuba could talk, Yami took a moment and translated the boy's words.  "…Mokuba, I'm sure Kaiba's fine.  But if you want, I can send Joey out to look for him; he's not doing his job here anyway, and Yugi and I are a bit… busy.

Sighing in relief, certain that Yugi and his friends would fix this for him, Mokuba thanked Yami and hung up.

_/Why do I hafta be stuck lookin' fer Kaiba?  Why me?  Yami knows I hate the guy!/_

Joey Wheeler turned up the collar of his coat against the cold wind as he walked the streets between the school and Kaiba's estates, searching for the mysteriously absent and late billionaire.  The rain was at least starting to let up, but it was still damn cold from the howling wind.

Seeking shelter from the freezing elements, the blond ducked into a back alley.  He started thinking about the dog he wanted to adopt that day; he had a collar and leash all ready in his pocket and he had the perfect pup picked out in the shelter.  He wasn't too thrilled with this little 'search for Kaiba' episode, because it kept him from his adorable little puppy.

Suddenly, he was jarred from his thoughts as he tripped over a sleeping dog that was huddled under a familiar white trench coat….

The dog leaped up with a yelp and growled dangerously, baring its teeth.  Joey blinked as he sat up and turned his head only to come face-to-face with very large and very peeved-looking Great Dane.  The dog suddenly stopped snarling and just stared at Joey… almost like it was at a loss for words.

The blond looked closer at the dog and realized that the dog had shocking, bright blue eyes.  He grinned and moved closer to the dog, petting it as it shied away from his touch with a look almost like disgust.  Not one to pass up an opportunity, Joey reached forward and kept petting the dog's head.  He had wanted a dog, after all, and if he took this one home he wouldn't have to pay the adoption fee… and he needed as much money as he could get.

"It's okay, pup," Joey said soothingly before grabbing the scruff of the dog's neck as a joke came into his mind.  He slipped the collar and attached leash out of his jacket pocket and swiftly slipped over the dog's head and about its neck before it could react.  Joey noted that the dog looked like it wasn't totally an adult yet, but almost there.

The teen picked up Kaiba's trench coat and searched the alley.  He found Kaiba's briefcase and the rest of his clothing.  "Weird," Joey muttered.  "Why the heck're Kaib's clothes abandoned in an alley?"  Unable to produce an answer for himself, he glanced over at the glaring dog and grinned.  "Ya know, you look kinda like the guy with them blue eyes a' yers, and with that fur.  I think I'll call ya Seto… heh, I bet the real one'd get a kick outta this…"

Seto would have very much liked to disagree, and he tried.  But, alas, it came out only as a growl.  That seemed to make Joey even more amused.  "Ya even sound like the real Kaiba.  Growly and aggressive."

Giving the blond a glare, Seto yanked his head back as the teen scratched his ears amicably.  "Hey now, puppy dog, be nice."

_/'Be nice'?  I'll show you nice… lean down here and I'll bite your face off, mutt…/_

Blissfully unaware of Seto's murderous thoughts, Joey began walking out of the alley with Kaiba's clothing and briefcase in his hands.  Unused to collars and the like, Seto was unhappily surprised when he was dragged along after the annoying blond.  He could tell that this was going to be one long-ass day…

In Yugi's house, things were unusually quiet.  It was disconcerting to hear that Seto Kaiba was missing.  Even though Yami didn't like the blue-eyed duelist at all, he still respected him and was afraid for the cold man.  He and Yugi sat at a table near the front door, just waiting for Joey to come back and tell them what had happened.

Mokuba had come over, not wanting to be in the large estate by himself, and was asleep on the couch in Tristan's arms.  Tristan had been comforting the boy over the absence of his brother, and had been thankful when the tearful child had finally fallen asleep… but he still felt bad for the kid, even if he _was Kaiba's brother._

Suddenly, the door was opened with a bang.

Yugi and Yami both bolted to their feet and stared at the door, and Mokuba's eyes slowly blinked open.  Tristan raised an eyebrow at the scene in the doorway.

"C'mon, mutt!"

A few yelps and frenzied barking ensued, and a briefcase was hurled into the house to be followed by what appeared to be Seto's clothing.  Yami stared at the clothes, then back out the door.

Seconds later, a large great dane bounded into the house with Joey hanging onto its leash a few feet behind as he was dragged inside after the dog.  The dog looked around, his gaze settling on Mokuba.

The child blinked, confused.  Why did Joey bring in a dog instead of his brother?

His questioning thoughts were cut short as the dog leaped onto the couch next to him and tried to be affectionate, barking loudly.  Mokuba's eyes widened, and he tugged Tristan's jacket sleeve.  "Uh, Tristan?  There's a dog here."

"Way to state the obvious, little guy," replied the brown-haired teen with a smile, but not before casting Joey an inquisitive look.  The blond grinned.  "His name's Seto."

Yugi blinked in surprise.  "Seto?"

"Yeah, Seto."

The dog glared at Joey for a moment before grasping Mokuba's shirt in his teeth and tugging gently.  The kid grinned and pet Seto's head.  "Well, at least you found _one Seto…" Yami muttered to Joey, glad that the young Kaiba was at least distracted from thoughts of his brother for a bit by the presence of the dog._

The spirit then walked over to the clumsily thrown briefcase and clothing.  "Joey… where did you find these?  They're definitely Kaiba's."

The brown-eyed teen wandered over to Yami and nudged the briefcase with his foot.  "I found them in an alley 'bout halfway between school and Kaiba's house."

"No sign of Kaiba himself?"

Joey shook his head in the negative.  "None, Yami.  S'like he disappeared or somethin'."  At those words, Yami frowned and looked closer at the dog.  There were certainly similarities… but it was impossible.

"Tristan, can you take Mokuba home?" the spirit asked, frowning.  The teen in question nodded and got up, beckoning to Mokuba, who had sobered again at the mention of his brother's disappearance.

When the two had left, Yugi looked at Yami with a worried expression.  "What do you think happened to Kaiba?"

Seto growled and pawed at Yugi's feet.  "I'm right here, you dunce," the billionaire said, but it came out as a low growl and a bark.  The boy stepped back and moved next to Yami, unaccustomed to large dogs.  Seto bristled a little and snapped at Yami.

"You sure the dog's not going to hurt anyone?" Yami asked Joey, eyeing the brown dog carefully.  "Yeah, he's harmless.  He's a big teddy bear, just like his namesake," said the blond with a mischievous grin.  The spirit rolled his eyes at that and poked Joey's chest.

"It doesn't matter what you say, Joey… Yugi and I are well aware of your feelings for Seto Kaiba."

_/Feelings?  Why would Wheeler have 'feelings' for me?  He's a stupid mutt!/ Seto thought, totally disregarding that he was in fact the dog at the moment._

The CEO-turned-dog was even more surprised when the blond blushed brightly at Yami's words.  "Ah, man, Yami… d'you hafta say it out loud where anyone could hear yas?"

Now Seto was even more interested.  Anything that Joey didn't want anyone to hear was good blackmail material indeed, considering the fact that Joey had almost no sense of propriety or modesty.

Yugi grinned and came up next to Joey, poking his stomach a few times.  "We both know your secret, Joey… but don't worry, we won't tell anyone."

Damn.  Typical of the stupid brat to taunt Seto and then not deliver promised goods.  Stupid second-rate duelist.

As Seto started to growl, Joey decided very quickly that it was time to go.  He waved at Yami and Yugi before dashing out the door, his face beet red, dragging poor Seto behind him.

_AN: How'd you like that chapter, folks?  R&R!  Up next, Seto is brought to Joey's home and gets a little taste of the unfortunate kid's life at the hands of you-know-who… and realizes that he has much more in common with the 'mutt' than he thought._


	3. Domesticity

Turning the Tables 

Chapter Three: Domesticity

_AN: Lalalalala… *evil laughter*  Erhem… anyway, danke for the reviews… give me more and I might add in a little interactive section where the characters read the reviews themselves… mwahahaha…_

Joey had stopped at a pet store on the way home to get Seto some new 'attire'.  The very embarrassed former-billionaire was now sporting a blue collar that had a small golden tag that said 'Seto' on it… along with owner information and the like.

Gods, his 'owner' was Joey Wheeler!  That made his blood boil, and it made him very self-conscious.  He pitied dogs.  Oh yes, he pitied them.  Anyone but he would have gone insane if they got hit by lightning and found themselves turned into a dog.  But no, a Kaiba never gave in, and a Kaiba always found an advantage.  And currently it was to Seto Kaiba's advantage to play along with Joey's little charade as his 'master' until he could figure out a way to turn himself back into a normal human.

His thoughts turned dark as he pictured Mokuba all alone at the estate… his little brother had always said he felt a little lost when he wasn't around, and it was understandable… the place was huge.  Seto himself sometimes got lost in it, even now.  How would Mokuba deal with his absence?  He shuddered to think of it.  His brother was all that he had, and the image of Mokuba alone and scared battered Seto's mind with guilt.

Seto's train of thought grew even more gloomy as the night wore on.  He slunk at Joey's heels, long ago having given up trying to dart away.  Where would he go?  He didn't allow dogs on his property when he was human.  And he certainly didn't want to go begging to Yami and Yugi, even though he reasoned that Yami must have noticed something linking his 'disappearance' with his 'reappearance'.  Bakura and Ryou?  Bakura'd probably think him a delicacy and cook him on the spot.

Malik and Marik… he just didn't want to even THINK of going there.

He was pulled out of his contemplations when Joey stopped suddenly, causing Seto to walk right into him.  They were standing in front of a ratty looking apartment building that had all sorts of nasty things that Seto really didn't want to think about plastered over the faded brick walls.

This is where the mutt lived?  He almost felt sorry for Wheeler.

Joey was fumbling with keys, and eventually got the front door open, holding it for 'his' dog.  Seto, curious, followed him.  "Lucky they allow pets, huh Seto?" Joey said with a small grin.

Hearing something odd in the blond's voice, Seto looked up at his face.  It wasn't normal.  Well, at least, it wasn't the expressions Kaiba was used to seeing on the fiery teen's face.  Joey's smile was strained, and his eyes were full of fear instead of happiness like they normally were.  Seto was contemplating the reasons when Joey reached down to scratch his ears with trembling hands, more to comfort himself than to comfort the canine.

They walked up the stairs to the fourth floor, and Joey stopped at a door that read '4C' in faded and chipped gold lettering.  He took out his keys again and pushed one into the lock.  Before he turned it, he faced Seto and frowned.  "Don't make any noise, 'kay?  I don't want the old man hearin' me."

Realizing how ridiculous it was to talk to a dog, the blond turned around and slowly opened the door as quietly as he could.  As soon as it was open, Seto's eyes started to water.  Gods, but it stunk of alcohol in that apartment!  Seto wondered how Joey could possibly deal with such a disgusting stench…

He was guided into the apartment by Joey's hand gripping his collar.  The apartment was filthy.  They walked down a narrow hallway, and at the end there were three doors.  Around the middle of the hall and to the left was a living area, and Seto poked his head in curiously.

He saw a repulsive-looking grey couch that seemed to have vomit stains as a pattern, a ratty carpet that wasn't living up to its name, and a junky television set with a broken antenna.  In the far end of the room was a table and a few chairs, along with an Ancient-looking refrigerator and microwave.  The TV was on to a news channel, and the caster was talking annoyingly.

On the filthy couch was a large man with hair that could have been the color of gold like Joey's a long, long time ago.  The man was unshaven and smelled, Seto noticed, and a large beer belly was readily apparent.  Was this Joey's father…?

The elder Wheeler had an empty case that previously held beer bottles at his feet, and the missing objects were strewn about the room, one in the man's hand about half-full.  The man was apparently asleep, judging by the monstrous noise coming from his open mouth.  Seto looked up as he heard a soft sigh of relief.

Joey, his 'master', was rubbing the back of his neck as a small amount of tension left him.  _/Good… he's asleep.  That means he can't do anythin' ta me,/_ the blond thought, a hand absently straying to his ribs.  Kaiba licked his teeth as he thought, but was pulled along through the apartment to the room on the far left.  Joey opened it, and Seto found himself staring at a nearly bare and very small room.

It was, however, quite a lot neater than the rest of the house.  _/And it doesn't reek,/ Seto noticed approvingly, his sensitive new nose no longer in pain.  The bed was small; too small for a growing teen like Joey, which was made evident as the blond flopped down onto it with a sigh, his legs hanging almost a foot off the bottom of the bed that was more of a cot._

Seto, always looking for an edge in everything, decided to try to get more information about what went on in this hellhole Joey seemed to think was his home.  The billionaire-turned-dog padded out of the room as soon as he heard the blond on the bed start to snore softly.  He explored the hallway he was in, finding that the middle doorway was to a dirty, grubby bathroom that looked as if it hadn't seen a good clean in years.

If he had still been human, he would have frowned.  Sure, he didn't like Wheeler that much, but no human should be forced to live like this.  Even Seto Kaiba wasn't heartless enough to wish an existence like this on someone, even his worst enemies… well, perhaps his worst enemies.  It depended on how much he hated them.

The Dane wandered away from the inhumanly repulsive bathroom and went to the living room and watched Joey's father from just behind the wall.  The man was sleeping still, but the beer bottle had fallen from his hand and the dark liquid stained the man's already filthy undershirt, the bottle having eventually landed at his feet after rolling down his stomach.

Seto cautiously moved closer to the slumbering man and nearly gagged as the stench hit him when he got close.  He turned to leave and head back into Joey's room to think, and was unpleasantly surprised when a booted foot made harsh contact with his rear.

Yelping, Seto scooted forward and then turned to look at Mr. Wheeler.  The man was giving him an ugly glare, his eyes cracked open slightly.  "S'uuupid mutt… jus' like Jos'ph…" the man grumbled, kicking out at the 'dog' again.  Seto backed out of the way of the leg and growled reflexively, baring his teeth.

At that, the man's eyes widened and then narrowed in rage.  Not liking that very much, Kaiba retreated to the hallway, but still watched the man as he picked up the discarded beer bottle.  Definitely smart enough to see what was coming, Seto took off down the hallway just as the bottle smashed against the wall at what would be his head's height.

Slipping into the room and nudging it shut with his nose, Seto trotted over to Joey.  With a grunt, the billionaire dog lay down halfway under the mite-filled mattress that his temporary 'master' lay on, guarding the other teen although he didn't realize that was his intent.

_/Bastard… throwing bottles at me, Seto Kaiba… I wonder what he's done to Joey…/_

Seto's mind wandered back to when Gozaburo was still alive… when he had made Seto's life a living hell.  It had just been in a nicer building than this one.  Oh yes, Seto had plenty of scars, both physical and mental, as a result of his step-father.  The man always wanted-no, _needed perfection from everyone around him.  His step-sons were no exception._

He wanted the best and only the best, and Gozaburo Kaiba felt that a man could beat the imperfections out of his people.  Again, the boys had no immunity to the cruel theory.  Seto had been the one that was beaten most of the time, though.  He had always tried to make sure that Mokuba had stayed out of the way, and as a result Mokuba didn't have nearly as many wounds to show after Gozaburo… met his end.

Kaiba looked up at the bed again, the gears in his head still turning.  Joey was still asleep; in fact he looked totally exhausted.  Had he still had an expressive mouth, Seto would have frowned.  _/Stupid mutt.  Can't protect himself from his father.  I guess that means I have to do it,/ Kaiba thought._

Of course, that was just a result of Seto's twisted thinking.  He was perceiving Joey as a helpless victim, which he was, and since Seto didn't _really_ hate him, he couldn't let such things continue.  After all, Seto had his honor to think of.  He would never be able to live with himself if he had the chance to stop abuse and didn't take it… after all, how many times had he wished for someone to come to his aid every time Gozaburo decided to flay the skin from his back?

Completely disregarding his own rather alarming problem of being turned into a dog, Seto Kaiba sat down at the foot of the bed, careful not to jostle Joey, and started thinking up ways to get the blond out of this miserable excuse for an apartment.

_AN: Aha, there!  Now we get a bit more depressing, eh? *winks* Anyhoo, what will happen next?  Will Kaiba's plans work?  And what will happen to Joey?_


	4. Abuse

Turning the Tables 

Chapter Four: Abuse

_AN: I'm feeling kinda depressed.  And we all know what **that means… I get to fuck with their heads!  By the way, regular updates can be expected on this fic… it popped into my head and I couldn't get it out, and I'd be torturing myself if I didn't finish writing it. ;)  My heartfelt thanks to all those who reviewed; I appreciate it.  This is going to be another fairly short chapter, just to torture y'all.**_

 (Warning: First part of this chapter is a bit bloody.  If you don't like it, you can skip down to the second part…)

A loud crash and a yell of pain brought Seto out of slumber in a very rude way.  Where was he…? Oh yes, he was at the mutt's house… wait… where was the mutt?  Seto jumped off of the bed and followed the noises into the 'living room', and his jaw dropped.

Joey was lying against the wall, bleeding from various places.  His shirt was torn raggedly in areas, as if he were swiped with something sharp.  Small trickles of blood seeped out from such spots, and Seto narrowed his eyes as he caught sight of Joey's father.

The man had a broken bottle in hand, and he was going for Joey again.  The teen cowered against the wall and shielded his head with his blood-covered hands, matting his golden hair with the thick liquid.

Just as Joey's father had reached his son, Kaiba's shock wore off and he growled menacingly before bounding forward with his teeth gnashing.  Seconds later, he found himself attached by his jaws to Mr. Wheeler's leg, biting viciously at the flesh under faded jeans.

The man let out a cry and tried to pull away, but Seto just chomped down harder on his prize, blood running in rivulets down from jaw-shaped punctures in the man's leg.  Joey's eyes widened in fear as he realized what was happening, and he stumbled over to the small table and picked up the phone, dialing emergency services.

Meanwhile, Seto was busy tearing the leg to shreds and mutilating it beyond recognition.  Mr. Wheeler kept trying to hit his head with the bottle, but Seto quickly knocked it out of his hand with those big paws he had gotten, and then knocked him down. _/At least there useful for **some**thing…/_

Joey slammed down the phone and ran out of the room, and while he was mangling the teen's father Seto heard Joey's door open.  A few moments later, the boy was in the hallway with a small duffel bag only half-zipped.  He had Seto's leash with him, and he crept forward and clipped it onto the collar.

Realizing that his time to torture the now prone and whimpering man was over, Seto reluctantly backed off, still growling, his muzzle covered in blood.  Joey tugged the leash as he went for the door, trying not to look at the bloody mess of his father's leg.  He opened it and left it that way, then ran down the stairs with Kaiba in tow.

"Did you hear?"

Yugi looked across the school cafeteria as a peculiar conversation reached his ears.

"Yeah, Wheeler's old man tried to kill him… some dog ripped the dude apart."

Eyes widening, Yugi glanced across the table at Yami, who was frowning deeply.  "Did you know about that, Yami?" the smaller boy asked, eyes hurt.  The spirit nodded slightly and sighed.  "I didn't want you to get worried.  Joey called this morning before you woke up; he said he's fine and he wants to stay with us for a while."

"He can, right Yami?"

"Of course he can, hikari.  I already asked your grandfather.

Yugi's face brightened a little, and he looked over at an empty table in the corner of the cafeteria where Kaiba usually sat and worked during his lunch period.  The spirit followed his gaze and his brow furrowed.

"You know, Yami… I feel sorry for Kaiba.  He doesn't have friends like you."

Choosing not to reply verbally, the spirit just nodded.  _//Yes… Kaiba doesn't have friends.  He's too 'good' for that sort of thing…// Yami kept the thought to himself, and he crossed his arms._

In fact, Yugi thought that Kaiba was a pretty lonely guy.  The CEO always sat alone.  Yugi had attempted a few times to include the billionaire in various conversations, but the cold man had always responded with a snide comment and a sneer.  Actually, Yugi was beginning to think that Kaiba preferred being lonely.

His thoughts turned to Joey's 'secret'; the blond was gay.  Not only that, Yami had claimed that Joey had a huge crush on the one and only Seto Kaiba, but wouldn't admit it to himself.  Eventually, they had tricked him into revealing his feelings for the blue-eyed duelist to them, but he kept denying it to the rest of the world and to himself.

 Yugi shifted his sad stare to Joey's empty seat.  If it was true that his friend's father had tried to kill him… well, he didn't want to dwell on thoughts of Joey being hurt in any way.  But, at the same time, Yugi was hurt that Joey hadn't told him what had been going on in his home; Yugi told Joey everything about himself.

Why would Joey hide something as important as this?

***

**_Now… as promised… the reviewers' corner for chapter three…_**

(Seto, Yami, Marik, City and Joey sitting around a table with a pile of letters*

Seto: *growls* You read the first one, mutt.

Joey: *grumbles back at Seto but picks one up and clears his throat, grinning as he sees it* Lee writes, 'I just love the irony of Seto as the dog. It's delicious.'

Marik: *cracks up*

Yami: *rolls his eyes*

Seto: Stupid mutt… *blushes and snatches the next review* Kaneda-Shotaro and Yami Tetsuo says… 'I like!'

Marik: How descriptive!

City: *whaps Marik with a keyboard* Be nice!  I like that review!

Yami: Hrm… *picks one up* Tab's review… 'Aw, Poor Joey! *sniff* I feel soo bad. Nice plot though.  Role reversal, I love the breed of dog too Yay! Keep up the awesome work!'

Seto: Bet this 'Tab' wouldn't be so enthusiastic if they were turned into a damn mutt…

Marik: *curious, picks up the last review* Whoo, this is a long one… it's from a Lady Dragon person… sounds like someone Kaiba'd marry…  'Well I've seen and read several fics where Joey is the one struck by lighting and turned into a dog - the whole plot idea turns my stomach now. I am pleased however to read this story that has a definitely ironic little twist to that over used plot scenario. Good job, and I do hope you get the next chapter out soon.'

Seto: *sputters*

City: *glows* Thanks muchly to all reviewers… and the reason I actually did this was to put a spin on all the 'Joey gets turned into a dog' fics.  Ah, I love irony…


	5. Aftermath

Turning the Tables 

Chapter Five: Aftermath

_AN: Bwahaha.  More evilness.  I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I wish I did.  Stop rubbing it in, dammit! _ I'm keeping the chapters at a short to medium length to allow myself to update more often.  Opinions on whether I should continue this practice are welcome._

_By the way…     //--// = Yami's thoughts_

_                  /--/ = anyone's thoughts_

_                  [--]=Yugi's mind link to Yami_

_                  [[--]] Yami's mind link to Yugi_

The blond teen in question winced as an impatient, overworked doctor stitched a deep gash on the side of his face lining his cheek up.  He had needed to leave his dog at the Motou house, because they weren't allowed in the hospital… but he would have loved to have the support.  Tristan had driven him to the hospital after he had shown up at Yugi's after Yami had demanded that Joey get fixed up by a trained doctor.

This was going to be a long night… they'd only gotten to his neck after two hours, and they were working from the top down.

"Yami, do you not like dogs?"

The spirit glared at his hikari as the small boy giggled.  He was pressed to the wall in a corner, trying to back away from Joey's dog.  Seto was only a foot away, growling viciously at Yami with a menacing bark inserted into the mix every once in a while.  "I don't like this one," Yami muttered, scowling and trying to avoid the sharp teeth that snapped at his hands.  "Joey named him Seto, you know," Yugi said conversationally, giggling at the predicament of his darker half.

"I can see why," Yami replied sourly.  The dog made a noise oddly similar to mocking laughter, and finally let Yami alone.  Seto picked his way over to a couch and hopped onto it, knowing full well that Yami had warned Yugi not to let him onto the furniture.  The spirit arched a brow when the dog's head turned his way, and Seto gave him a disdainful wink.

_//Okay, that was NOT a dog-like thing to do…//_

He looked the Dane over again with an annoyed expression.  Yes… it was all there, and plain to see if one knew what to look for: found in an alley along with Kaiba's clothes and things, fur the same color as Kaiba's hair, eyes the same cold, detached blue…

Not to mention the same 'kiss my ass' attitude.

After six excruciating hours of being poked, prodded, and stitched up by doctors and questioned by social workers, Joey finally got a chance to slip out of the hospital without anyone noticing.  Relieved at the prospect of finally being left alone, he caught a cab and gave the driver directions to Yugi's house.

Well, not _completely_ alone.

He owed his dog, Seto, his life.  He inwardly wished the real Kaiba was present, and allowed himself to imagine the feel of being comforted by the tall, lanky brunette.  Would Seto Kaiba also have saved him if given the chance?  Joey thought about that for a while before he stopped his train of thought, not wanting to depress himself.

Joey paid the driver when they arrived on Yugi's street a few minutes later, and hobbled over to the front door.  He knocked twice and then waited.

Seto's head shot up several seconds before the knocks sounded.  Thanks to his new and improved nose, he could smell Joey coming closer… and Joey's blood.  He got off of the couch, nearly tripping in his haste, and started pacing at the front door, trying to see under it.

Yami, the only resident of the house still awake other than Kaiba, narrowed his eyes.  He glared at the dog he suspected was actually the missing billionaire, then heard a few raps on the door and got up to open it.

Impatient and actually worried for someone else other than Mokuba for a change, Seto decided he wouldn't wait for the spirit's dawdling.  He closed his large mouth around the doorknob and twisted his head and neck with a grunt, opening the door and pushing it out with a foot.  Joey was standing in the doorway, and three seconds later was on his back on the sidewalk with a worried great dane on his chest.

Seto sniffed and examined the complaining blond thoroughly, and was satisfied after a few minutes that Joey was, in fact, okay.  Yami came to the door while the dog was investigating and stared.  As far as he was concerned, his hunches had just been confirmed.  Dogs most definitely did _not know how to open doors.  The spirit watched as Joey grinned and ruffled Seto's ears fondly._

_/He's okay!  Thank the gods!/ That was the continuous chant that kept going through the preoccupied Seto's mind.  Overjoyed that Joey was alive and safe, he cared about nothing else.  In the far recesses of his consciousness, he asked himself why he cared so much about the mutt's safety anyway… but the thought was forgotten as waves of happiness swept them away._

The now very happy Kaiba bounded around Joey, barking loudly as the blond got painfully back to his feet and stepped into the house.  Yami smiled to himself and shook his head, pleased as he was assured of Joey's well-being.

"Where'm I crashin', Yami?"

"The guest room you always use, Joey."

Dead tired, Joey gave Seto's ears one last scritch before heading down the hallway.  The billionaire-turned-dog made to follow, but was pulled back as a firm hand caught hold of his collar.  Kaiba's head snapped up, and he snarled viciously.  Yami just smirked, unlike the fearful reaction that Seto had expected from the dog-hating spirit.

"Hello, Seto Kaiba."

Seto's eyes widened slightly.  Had someone finally figured it out?!  This could work to his advantage… Yami was by no means a weakling, and perhaps the ancient pharaoh could figure out a way to change him back into his normal body.

"I don't know how you got like this, Kaiba, but I'm very interested in finding out.  Care to enlighten me?"

Seto rolled his eyes and immediately gave Yami a look that clearly said 'I'm a dog, you idiot, I can't talk'… a very Kaiba-like sarcastic expression, actually.  Yami frowned.  "Why did you save Joey?" he questioned, feeling a little foolish talking to the dog after Seto had given him that 'you've got to be kidding me' look.

The response was a burning glare.

Obviously, Kaiba didn't exactly want to share his feelings on the subject, and Yami figured that Seto would refuse to attempt communication.  After all, he was still Kaiba, even if he _was _an oversized dog.  Yugi's darker half sighed and let go of Seto's collar as he heard Joey's voice calling for Seto softly from down the hall.  With a self-satisfied and very pompous look at the spirit, Kaiba trotted off in the direction of the voice.

A smile crept onto Yami's face.

_//I'd love to see Kaiba's face when he realizes he's playing the part of Joey's loyal lapdog perfectly.//_

Down the hall, Seto crawled onto the bed and lay down next to Joey at the blond's beckoning.  The teen wrapped an arm about his 'dog' and smiled happily, blissfully unaware that he was actually hugging his rival.  Under his fur, Seto actually blushed.  After a few moments, Seto watched as the fatigued Joey slipped into a deep slumber.  Seto moved a little closer to his 'master' and would have smiled if he could.

He had actually helped someone with no ulterior motives… and of his own free will.  Actually, no.  Not just 'someone'.  He had helped _Joey.  And that made him feel good.  In fact, he had _wanted _to help Joey, which was an odd feeling for the billionaire, but one he was quickly getting used to._

He remembered the rage that brushed aside his rational thought when he had seen Mr. Wheeler hurting the blond; the blinding anger that had spurred him into attacking the older man.  Why did he like the mutt so much?

And Joey looked so innocent and beautiful when he was asleep…

Not realizing the very uncommon thoughts he was entertaining, Seto eventually drifted off to sleep himself, confused and a bit unsettled by all the emotion that had been shoved into his life in just a day.

***

**_The reviewers' corner for chapter four…_**

(Seto, Marik, Bakura and City sitting around a table with a pile of letters*

Seto: Why do we have to do this again?

Marik: Because City told us to.  And I don't think we'd want to get her mad.

Bakura: Oooooh, crème puffs!

Seto: …crème puffs?

Bakura: *grabs a puff off of a platter* Yes!

City: Yeah.  The crème puffs are my bribery for Bakura.  Ryou told me his secret.

Marik: *pokes Bakura* You're addicted to crème puffs?

Bakura: *ignores Marik, keeps munching*

City: Seto, you do the first one again, kay?

Seto: *mutters but picks one up and clears his throat* 'Love it still. Good job. Can't wait till next chapter.' From Nanaka.  By the gods, these people are crazy if they like this stuff…

Bakura: *sees a review and grabs it, grinning evilly* You'll like this one, Kaiba… *holds up millennium ring*

City: o_O

Bakura: *drags everyone to the shadow realm so he can torture Kaiba more effectively with illusions*

Kashu: *eyes sparkle* Kaiba is being protective of Jouno... Olala!

Seto: I'm not being protective!  
Kashu: Anyway... Usually people portray Kaiba as too harsh... or not harsh enough... I could very well see him reacting like that... Jouno too.  
Malik: *snorts with laughter and pokes the illusion* I like this person.  
Kashu: Although I don't really see him as a cowering type, I suppose anyone would, having a broken bottle swung at them like that... *winces* Ouchies...

Seto: He didn't COWER!  He was protecting himself!

Bakura: Getting a little protective yourself, eh, Kaiba?  This Kashu person is right about that. *picks up another review and makes another illusion* This one's worth seeing in action…

Kay and Fantasychick: *whips Marik back* Fun to torture him! More please!

Marik: *screeches*

City: *snickers* Hey, Marik, I didn't know your voice got that high.

Marik: Shut up! *red in the face*

Bakura: *sifting through the remaining reviews… and yet another person appears*

Tabs: Yay! Another chapter is done! *throws a marshmallow at Seto* Keep up the good work!

Seto: *marshmallow hits him in the eye* Itai! *rubs his eye with a hand and scowls*

Marik: …wuss.

Seto: *whacks Bakura on the back of the head, breaking Bakura's concentration and the illusion* Baka.  I'll get you for this.

City: Hrm.  Maybe I should get you to make some kind of virtual software to emulate reviewers, Seto.  Fun. *grins*

Seto: Yeah, yeah. *grabs the next review and speaks in a monotone* 'This is really cool, I'm really enjoying it. In fact I read it and check for updates when I'm in classes. It is a nice escape from the boringness of class...and that's saying a lot, trust me. I'm enjoying your POV on Kaiba as a dog' *growls* 'Great Danes are really cool, too...my aunt has one that is really loyal.'  
Marik: *falls over laughing* I'd have to say that everyone likes you as a mutt, Kaiba!

Kaiba: Shut up! *keeps reading* 'Well, I'm babbling again. I've really enjoyed this so far and I am looking forward to reading up on how (and if) Kaiba will return to normal...and Jou's reaction to when he does... Keep up the writing! Best of luck on all journeys!'  That bit of torture for me was from malvolio1342.  I know where you live. *glares*

Bakura: *half a crème puff in his mouth* Haaa!  Kaiba might not be normal?

Marik: Since when is he normal in the first place?  
Seto: You're really one to be talking, Ishtar.

City: Anyway, that's all I've got for now.  And because of the speed of my updates, if ya wanna get in on the RC action, you need to get reviews in quick.  Thanks to all who reviewed!  My new website is at www.angelfire.com/ego2/citybs/ .  Go see!

Bakura: *points accusingly at City with a crème puff* SHAMELESS ADVERTISING!

City: Yes, that's the point, 'Kura.  Anyhoo, if any of you want to reach me to chat or discuss whatever is on our freakish anime-loving minds, my AIM is CityBS2003.  My email is now CityBS2003@yahoo.com.  Ja ne!

Seto: It this keeps up, I'm going to kill something…


	6. Guilt

Turning the Tables 

Chapter Six: Guilt

_AN: Bwahaha.  More evilness.  I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I wish I did.  Stop rubbing it in._

Joey woke up, unsurprisingly, with a splitting headache.  He opened his eyes slowly and was greeted to the sight of the sleeping, peaceful face of his dog.

Yeah, there was something special about the dog he had found.  Not only had Seto saved his life, he seemed to have an eerily well-developed intelligence, and had almost human expressions.  The dog had opened doors and even led him to Yugi's house when Joey's eyes had been blinded as blood ran into them.  Seto…

Man, did the dog remind him of the real Seto Kaiba.  They both even gave Yami the same scathing glares.

_/I miss Kaiba.  But why?  Yeah, I like 'im, but I don't got any right __to like 'im…. He's got a rep and a life, unlike me.  But I miss him.  I wonder where he's got to./_

Seto yawned and stretched, Joey's movement finally waking him from his slumber.  He licked Joey's face when he saw the sad expression on the blond's features. _/Wait.  Did I just do that?/ Kaiba asked himself, his nose twitching in agitation.  Joey cracked a small smile and tapped the spot between Seto's eyes, making the dog go cross-eyed as he tried to keep his gaze on the finger._

The blond teen laughed at the sight, and the dog let out a snort that sounded almost indignant.  Ruffling Seto's ears, Joey rolled out of bed and started digging through his duffel bag, pulling out a green t-shirt and white cargo pants.  Still searching and flinging clothes everywhere, Joey grumbled to himself about his lousy packing habits.

Looking up at Joey curiously, Seto was very surprised when a pair of grey boxer shorts landed right on the bridge of his nose.  He yelped, and, as it was, blushed under his fur.  Joey chuckled and grabbed the shorts.  "There they are; good dog."

Then Joey started to strip himself of his bloody, ruined clothing.  Seto's eyes widened as the tattered shirt was peeled off.  He had never noticed how much muscle the blond had… or how hot his chest was, even when it was wrapped in bandages.  He got even more shocked when he realized exactly what he was thinking.  Then all reason fled as the blond slipped out of his pants and boxers.

Seto let out a muffled yelp and his sensitive nose started to bleed.  Joey, in the middle of pulling on his clean boxers, gave the dog an odd look as drops of blood fell onto the carpet.  "What's wrong, pup?"

At that, Seto dashed out of the room, leaving a puzzled but amused Joey behind to finish getting dressed.

Yami wouldn't stop laughing for fifteen full minutes.

_/Damn you, pharaoh!/ Seto thought, glaring at the spiky-haired spirit.  Joey had related the incident, and Yami had quickly figured out the cause of Kaiba's impromptu nosebleed._

So now the CEO was huddled under the kitchen table where the small group was seated, sulking.  Yugi was talking to Joey with concern nonstop, and Joey was good-naturedly answering Yugi's many questions.  Breakfast was shoveled down Joey's throat as he talked, and Yami had an evil grin plastered on his face, and every so often, the spirit nudged Seto's head with his foot.

During the next few hours, after Joey had eaten, all they did was sit and talk in the living room.  Seto was snoozing on a chair, and Yugi and Joey were sprawled on a couch while Yami stood leaning against the wall that faced it.  "So your dog Seto saved you?"

"For the millionth time, Yug, yes!"

As they playfully argued, the doorbell rang.  Yugi, always the friendly one, jumped up and ran to the door with a smile.  When he opened it and saw the tear-streaked face of the visitor, the smile slowly faded.

"Hello, Mokuba."

Seto's head shot up; the mere mention of his brother was enough to jar him back into awareness.  Turning his head towards the door, his heart lurched.  Mokuba stood there looking miserable, his face shining with half-dried tears.  Guilt hit Seto like a ten-ton weight, making him feel nauseous.  He had forgotten about Mokuba!

Yami walked over to the door, shooting a glance at Seto as he led the younger Kaiba into the living room.  Although he would certainly never admit it, the billionaire felt like breaking down into tears.  He had _never_ broken a promise made to Mokuba in his life, and in the last few days he'd managed not only to do that, but he had also forgotten about his own kid brother!

And his fascination with Joey Wheeler was the cause…

The black-haired boy sniffled a few times, clinging to Yami's sleeve.  Seto retreated to his spot underneath the kitchen table, totally ashamed and disgusted with his actions.  Yugi glanced his way curiously before following Yami and Mokuba into the bathroom to clean up the young Kaiba.

Joey, worried about Mokuba but also concerned about his dog, hovered in front of the bathroom door for a few minutes before wandering into the kitchen and kneeling down to take a look at Seto.  Nothing seemed to be physically wrong with him, at least.  Joey let out a grunt and climbed halfway under the table to get closer to his 'faithful pet'.

Odd.  The dog looked almost heartbroken.

"Hey, what's up, buddy?" Joey said softly, reaching forward to scratch behind Seto's ears fondly.  The dog let out a choked whimper.  Feeling a little silly, Joey wrapped his arms around the large canine and just muttered soft reassurances.  He didn't know exactly why he was moved to do such a thing, but the dog was just so… _human_.  And he reminded him of the real Seto Kaiba.  He'd love to comfort that Seto in his arms like this…

Something nagged at the back of his mind as he held Seto close and patted him, the dog still making pathetic-sounding whines.  While comforting Mokuba with Yugi, Yami glanced into the mirror to see that sight reflected at him.  Amused, he wondered what Joey would do if he knew that it _was_ the real Kaiba he was holding.  Well, this was probably a good sign.

_//And __maybe Kaiba will learn how to respect other people for when he's back to normal.//_

An hour or so later, Mokuba was on his way back to the Kaiba mansion feeling much better.  Yami had assured him that Seto was fine, saying that he would have felt something mentally if Kaiba had been hurt in any major way.  Then Yami had given Joey some excuse to get him out of the room for a minute.

Kneeling down in front of the kitchen table, the spirit stared at Kaiba with a soft smile on his lips.  "You have a very loyal, smart little brother, Kaiba.  He's given your company the excuse that you're on vacation, and he's been managing it himself.  Very well, too, I might add," Yami said in a conversational tone.

The dog gave him a 'tell me something I _don't already know' look.  Grinning, Yami actually reached out and ruffled the CEO's ears.  "By the way, Kaiba, are you hungry?  I don't think I've seen you eat since Joey was hurt," he mused, almost to himself._

Seto didn't want to be pulled down to the level of being dependant on his dueling rival for food... he was about to shake his head stubbornly when his stomach growled very loudly.  He glared down at it… /_Traitor.../ he thought, annoyed with his body._

The spirit of the millennium puzzle laughed and stood up, stretching.  "What would you like, Kaiba?  How does a steak sound?"

_/Steak?  Are you kidding me, pharaoh?  I'd like a few nice crepes, a glass of red wine, and some venison on the side./_

Of course, Yami wasn't exactly privy to Seto's thoughts.  However, he did walk over to the fridge and opened the freezer door, poking inside of it for a minute.  "Here's one," he said triumphantly, pulling out the frozen-solid hunk of meat.  Seto stared at it and lifted his lip in disgust.

Then Yami tried to cut it, and succeeded in bending a butcher knife.  The spirit, however, was undeterred.  Knowing he was going to be in for a good show, Seto managed to put his guilty feelings to the back of his mind and sat back on his side under the table, watching the technologically-challenged Yami attempt to cook a steak.

"Aah, man, Yami, did you hafta burn the coffee maker?"

Joey was standing in the kitchen a few feet away from the table with his hands on his hips.  He was also shirtless.  He was wearing only a pair of hastily donned jeans.  It was all Seto could do to keep himself from drooling all over the tiled floor.

When Yami's endeavors finally got something blown up, Yugi and Joey had come running.  Joey had been taking a shower when he heard it, so he had just pulled on a pair of pants and had then headed to the kitchen to see what was wrong.   Yugi had been doing homework, which put him in a less awkward position.

_/Joey… fresh out of shower… tight jeans… dear Ra, why do you torture me?/_

As a whimper sounded, Joey arched an eyebrow at Seto, who was still under the table.  Shrugging, he turned back to Yami and the charred kitchen counter while Yugi giggled in the doorframe.  "Whadda we gonna do with you, Yami?  You wreck everythin'!"

Yami shrugged sheepishly.  Rolling his eyes, Joey picked up the meat and put it on a nearby plate, then shoving that into the microwave and starting it up.  "Sheesh, it ain't that hard…"

_/And he can cook!  Well… sort of… but he's Joey!  Wait, what the hell am I **thinking?!/**_

(And now, what you've all been waiting for… the Reviewers' Corner!  With Bob, my evil black talking cat muse, everyone's favorite tomb robber, Yami, Malik, yours truly, and Joey!)

Joey: Wow, that's a lotta reviews for one chapter…

City: It's because I didn't update this chapter five minutes after I uploaded chapter five.  I swear, I'm too nice to you readers… *wink*

Bob:  --_--

Bakura: Let's just get this over with… *growls as he snaps everyone into the Shadow Realm*

Seto's Baby Dragon: I just started reading this and ish REALLY good. no... good would be an understatement. I LOVE THIS STORY! ish SO cool! You have to do another chapter!! Is Joey gonna find out that Seto the dog is the Seto Kaiba? well duh... I don't know why I just asked that question...  
but he is right?

Joey: Well, o'course I am!  Whaddaya take me for, a moron?

Malik: *snork*…yes!

Squirrel-HATER: YOUR MEAN!  HURTING JOU in that last chapter...I'm calling child services on your ass LOL kidding anyway love the story and wait till I tell my best friend that Yami TALKS TO DOGS! One more thing...can I give Bakura a hug he's just so god-damned hot!  Must be the hair I guess *friend rolls eyes*? lol again love the story please update.

Yami: It's not a _real _dog!  It's Kaiba!

Malik: *cough* Denial! *cough*

Bakura: Hmm… well, yes, that's true… I am hot.  You may hug me.

Squirrel-HATER: *hugs Bakura*

Bakura: Mwaha.  Worship me and my sexy body.  That's right.

Joey, City, Malik, and Bob: o_O

City: Narcissism much?

Malvolio1342: Lol. Well, protectiveness is one good trait of Danes...yay Kaiba! I'm on your side all the way for you returning to normal! (So is my brother, btw, he just likes to watch people get tortured...sadistic like Malik and Bakura) And yeah, Malvolio needs to get a life in class...  
Malik and Bakura: *sniff* *hug each other*

Malik: We've got our own little demonic following made up of little siblings!

Bakura: I'm so happy!  
Malvolio1342: Hey, you know where we live! Can we entertain you for a bit! You'll enjoy it! Bring a friend! And we don't care if you're normal or not! We're definitely not!   
Joey: Well, if Seto was here, he'd tell you to bug off or somethin'… cause that's what he does… but as long as you've got food, I'm dere!  
Malvolio1342: Anyways, This is from Fajra (the girl of the twins...) Bright the Day! Wind to thy Wings!

Yami: Live long and prosper!

Malik: *points at Yami and bounces up and down* I KNEW it!  You're a Trekkie!

Yami: _

CowThreesome: Question, isn't Seto one of them neat freaks?  Cause he bit the smelly dudes (Joe's dad) leg so um u confuse me and I dun like that!  Oh and before I spaz out...god story!  Seto is a dog hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!  In your face Seto go Joey! (I dun really like them both but dats ok^_^)oh and GO MALIK!I LOVE YOU!

Malik: I love me too! *hugs himself*

Joey: *sweatdrops* Hey, Kaiba attacked m'dad because he loves me… but he didn't know it.  Overprotective attitude, kay?  That's why.  It's sweet, ain't it? *beams*

Bakura: *mutters* About as sweet as poison…

Lovely Lei: Please keep going. I love it. Seto and Joey. Yet most of the things you said so far in the story my dog can do. My dog can open a dog, smile, he can frown and a lot of other things he can also say my name. {okay a little it's more like wof and then a short howl.} Yet keep going please.

City: Well, I own show dogs that are pretty damn smart, and I've lived and worked with all sorts of dogs and canines my entire life… and I've never seen one that opens a door that they have to pull, not push.  So nyah. *winks*  But thanks for the praise!

Joey: I like dogs…

Saiyan-Kitsune-Foxfire:  Aww... Seto playing faithful Lapdog.  Hehe, I know damn well how big dogs like being lap dogs.  I got a lab myself and Seto reminds me of her. This story is great. Please please update soon.  Ja!  
Bakura: …I am very, very happy Kaiba isn't here.  He'd be ripping shit up by now.

Malik: *nods sagely*

Joey: Yeah, but he's MY faithful lapdog!  Woohoo!

Yami: *sweatdrops*

Kage Kashu: Kashu-  Wah!! Bakura! *sparkles* And someone finally figured it out... Yami is so dense sometimes...  
Bakura: *hides*

Yami: Auuugh.  I'm not dense, dammit… my brain is just a couple millennia rusty! _

Kage Kashu: Ah, yes, the great scene where Kaiba finally realizes the way he's acting... Will he still be feeling "doggy" when he returns to normal, maybe?  
Joey: I certainly hope so… I think the real Seto in a collar would look dead sexy… *drools*

Kage Kashu: (Feelings like that don't just go away, ne?)

Yami: *waves a hand in front of Joey's face*

Joey: *dazed and daydreaming*

Yami: *nods at Kage* No, they don't go away.  As you can see, Joey is a victim of the same thing. *nods sagely to himself*

Bob: And my life has reached a new low.

City: Hush, Bob.  Now then, I shall commence writing the next chapter!  But I want at least ten reviews of this one before I put it up! *cackles* I am holding chapter seven hostage!  Bob, do the honors!

Bob: Uhh… kay.  *reads from paper, flicking his tail* Chapter five, chapter six… ah, chapter seven.  The title is 'injury'.  Joey's father shows up after being released by the police station… what does he plan to do?

City: Good show, Bob!

Bob: Whatever.  Give me some tuna and I'll forget about the whole thing.

Malik: *stares* Tuna?  Did someone say… tuna?

City: *sweatdrop* Ooooookay, too much information right there.  R&R, people, I love you!


	7. Injury

Turning the Tables 

Chapter Seven: Injury

_AN: I feel evil.  And you all know what that means from past experience.  I fuck with their minds and hurt them a little… even though I love them dearly. *winks* Actually, I have nothing against Seto or Joey.  I love them both (RABID Seto fan), but I already have the entire fic planned out… so this has to happen sooner or later.  WARNING: More blood in this chapter.  I seem to like blood… o_O  By the way, I use Otogi instead of Duke._

Mr. Wheeler staggered down an alley, not really knowing where he was or where he was headed.  All he knew was that the damn _brat_ had told the police about what had gone on in the apartment for the last few years.  They had tried to keep Wheeler on charges of harassment and child abuse, but they couldn't hold him… why?  Because the cowardly little mutt they called his son refused to 'testify' again.

Actually, that worked out to his advantage.  Now all he needed to do was get rid of the boy.  After all, he couldn't have something like this happen again, could he?  And he'd need to get rid of that fucking dog too…

The man rubbed his bandaged leg, shuddering, as he thought of the large teeth ripping through his flesh like it was paper.  Well, this would be all over soon… the kid would be out of his hair and the dog would be tossed dead into a ditch somewhere on the outskirts of the city.  Wheeler stopped at a store and smiled, his eyes dancing with madness.

Then he walked inside and up to the counter, taking out his wallet and putting a few hundreds on the counter that he had mugged off of a wussy little businessman on the street a while ago.  "Give me the best I can get for this," he told the store's owner, an evil grin spreading wider across his features.

Later that evening, Yugi had gone off with Tristan and Otogi to look at some new Duel Monsters cards, and Yami was off contemplating his meaning and his existence in his soul room.  Yugi's grandfather, Solomon, was away for a little while on a well-earned vacation, which left Joey and Seto all to themselves in the small house.

They sat together on the couch, with Seto lying halfway onto Joey's lap as Joey stroked his neck and back.  They were watching TV, and Joey marveled at how the dog seemed to actually be interested in the program.  A bowl of popcorn was balanced on Joey's left knee, and every so often the blond snagged a few kernels and popped them into his mouth with a satisfied look.

Now that they had finally been left alone, and now that that stupid Yami of Yugi's was finally out of his hair (or fur), Seto was relaxing.  He was thoroughly enjoying the petting and scratching treatment that Joey was bestowing on him, and he wasn't going to complain when the teen slipped him a few handfuls of popcorn, either.

Yes, life was good.

He had a new gun and a clip of bullets.  Now he just had to find the kid.

Mr. Wheeler thought for a moment, and then remembered the mutt talking to some punk named 'Yougi' or something on the phone.  Yeah, that's probably where he had gone.  Loading the pistol and sticking it in his back pocket, the elder Wheeler started off to find directions to the Turtle Game Shop.

Back at the house, Tristan had been added to the mix on the couch.  He had come back with Yugi, who had promptly left again to do some school project with Ryou.  Tristan, however, didn't look too happy … Seto had decided that if his spot was going to be taken, he'd just sit on top of both of the teens.  His head, of course, was facing Joey, and the billionaire dog wouldn't stop giving him loving stares, no matter how much he tried not to.

The current show on the TV was some American program that Joey seemed to like called 'South Park'.  As the two boys laughed at the show, Seto let out a few sighs and made himself more comfortable on top of them.  He nosed Joey's hand a few times, and Joey lifted it to scratch behind Seto's ear.

Yami, who had returned from his soul room, stood in the doorway of the living room.  He smiled softly.  Joey was definitely a good influence on the formerly cold and distant CEO of KaibaCorp.  Indeed, this whole 'dog' thing was doing Seto a world of good in the way of getting another point of view.  And, just to be a little evil, Yami had bought everyone's favorite billionaire a 'gift', which was actually also a little bit of revenge for that whole steak incident.

"Joey, go feed your dog," he said, making his presence known.  Seto's head shot up, and the dog glared at him suspiciously over the back of the couch.  "Oh, hey Yami," Joey said good-naturedly, grinning and letting his head rest over the edge of the furniture like Seto's.  "Didn't see ya there."

The spirit just grinned and held up a generic-looking paper bag.  "Here, I bought this for Seto when I went out earlier… it's all we've got that he can have."

The blond caught the bag as it was tossed at him, and he turned it right-side-up so he could read it.  "'Bacon, steak and rice kibble'… Yami, what is this?"

"Dog food, Joey."

_/'Made with real meat' my ass… this stuff tastes worse than that crap the school cafeteria makes./_

Seto stood over his food bowl with a very doggy sneer on his face as he looked down at it.  He had tried a little bit out of curiosity, just to see if he could live off of the stuff.

_/I take that back.  The cafeteria food is gourmet compared to this filth,/_

Joey walked by, tousling the fur on Seto's head affectionately.  "Eat hearty, buddy," said the blond with a smile, and started to go back into the living room.

_/He can't be serious…/_

Seto grabbed Joey's pant leg in his teeth and tugged gently, getting the teen to stop and turn his head questioningly.  "What's up, pup?" he asked, glancing at the dog.  _/This so-called 'food' is inedible.  Give me something I can digest,/ Kaiba tried to say, but it came out, as usual, as a low whine and a few growls._

"Is it your food, Set?"

_/I knew there was a reason I liked this boy so much./_

"Here, I've got just the thing to make it better!"

That morning, Joey had made bacon.  And nobody had done the dishes.  He reached over to the stove and got the pan he had used and a fork, then leaned down to the food bowl and started to scrape all the extra goopy fat out and into the bowl.

_/I think I'm going to be sick…/_

Seto shuddered as he watched the translucent gunk being plopped into the bowl on top of the slate and cardboard pebbles the stupid company dared call 'natural meat ingredients'.  So the billionaire did what any other self-respecting handsome rich teen would do.

He turned his nose up at it.

"You don't like it?  Well, Seto, it's all we've got for ya.  Sorry, man, but you'll eat that or you just won't eat," Joey said, tossing the pan into the sink and wiping his hands off on a dishtowel.

_/What?!/_

Joey left the room, and Seto was about to bound after him when the spirit of the puzzle stepped into the doorway.

_/BASTARD!!/_

_//Oh, calm down, Kaiba.//_

_/…you can understand my thoughts?/_

_//Yes.//_

_/…and you didn't tell me until now?/_

_//That's right.//_

_/I hate you, you're a fucking jerk, go back to Egypt,/ Seto thought flatly, glaring at the devious pharaoh.  _//I'm hurt, Kaiba… but most people would call _you_ the jerk if they had a choice between me and you.//__

Seto growled, to which Yami laughed.  "Have fun with your kibble, Seto," said the spirit, before he wandered out into the living room to take up the only empty spot on the couch.  Kaiba sulked for a while, and then came out of the kitchen about an hour later to lie down in front of the couch with his front feet and his head resting on Joey's shoes.

The TV was now showing some obnoxious horror movie.  Pfft.  Seto had better things to think of.  Like what he was going to eat for the next…

Well, that was another thing.  How long _was_ he going to be stuck like this?

_/Someone up there is out to get me.  I probably shouldn't have pissed off the gods so much.  Dammit./_

Hours later, Yami and Tristan were sprawled over each other on the couch in a way that would have made Yugi very jealous of the brunette.  Yami was snoring, which amused Seto to no end.  And Joey was still flicking popcorn into his mouth and watching _yet another cheesy ancient horror film._

_/Does he ever get sick of them?!/_

Joey laughed loudly as a cowardly punk got his head ripped off in the movie.

_/You have some disturbing preferences, boy…/_

There was a knock at the door, and Joey got up, moving his feet carefully so he wouldn't step on Seto.  Having nothing better to do, and not really wanting to watch the CEO of a major company (the next victim in the movie) get violently murdered, Seto followed him.

"It's probably Yug," Joey said to Seto absently as he walked towards the door with the billionaire dog at his heels.  "He usually gets back home around now anyway."

Seto shook his head frantically as the wind from under the doorway changed its direction, blowing towards him.  That wasn't Yugi's scent.  Yugi didn't smell like old beer and cigarettes… but Seto surely knew who did.  He growled and closed his jaws around Joey's left forearm, but didn't bite.  He just wanted Joey to stop opening the door…

"Hey, bad dog!" said the blond, frowning.  "No biting!" He pushed Seto's head away from his arm and unlocked the door, opening it a second later.  Joey immediately paled; the steely barrel of a gun was staring him right between the eyes.  He let his gaze flick over to the owner of the gun… oh, shit.

His father, drunk as usual and looking even more pissed off than he normally did, was in the doorway.  "Brat," he grunted, taking a step forward as Joey jerked his head back.  "You tol' the cops 'bout me!" slurred the older Wheeler.  Stuttering, Joey tried to come up with a way out of this mess.  However, he didn't need to think for very long.

_/Stupid mutt shouldn't have opened the door!  Why doesn't anyone listen to me, goddammit!?  Wait… that's a gun… oh, screw this, that's not going to happen while Seto Kaiba is around…/_

With that thought in his head, Kaiba lunged forward with his large paws out, hitting the man in the chest and knocking him down.  _/Thank the gods alcohol slows down reflexes,/ he muttered to himself._

Snarling loudly, he attached his teeth to hand that held the gun.  He shook his head violently, tearing the flesh and ripping muscle.  Joey kept backing up, and then started yelling for help.  Mr. Wheeler's wrist splattered blood onto the floor in large spots as he tried to wrestle Seto off of him.

Yami and Tristan, awakened by the sudden noise, jumped to their feet.  Tristan stared for a few moments, shocked, while Yami ran forward and tried to grab onto Seto's collar to haul him off of the drunken man.

**-Seto's POV-**

Now that this problem has been taken care of, I think I'll relax.  Joey's idiot father has been hauled off by the police to the hospital… apparently, I ripped open his artery, hehe… and I think it's very much a good thing.

Joey's got a shell-shocked look on his face, and he can't stop hugging me.  Actually, neither can Yugi, who came home about ten minutes after the whole thing was over.  I'm starting to like the little guy, to tell the truth.  He's one of the most loyal people I've ever met.

I do like Joey a whole lot more, though.  He's pretty much perfect, and his few imperfections only make him so much more lovable… and what the hell am I _thinking?_

Fuck it, I can't deny it any more.

I'm falling in love with Joey Wheeler, and I'm stuck as a Ra-damned dog.  Someone up there _reaaaally _hates me, and is really enjoying my suffering.  Stupid bastards who call themselves merciful deities…

Merciful my ass.  They haven't helped out one little bit in this entire mess, and I'm willing to bet it's all _their _fault!

…Calm down, Kaiba, you're losing your grip on sanity.  Gods don't exist in that sense.  You are not falling in love.  Well, the last part is true.  I'm not _falling_ in love, I've definitely already fallen.

I always knew there was a reason I avoided emotions.  Too many problems come with the package of having human feelings.  Not that Joey's a problem.  He's an angel in this hell they've created.

And his dad really, really needs to take a bath.  Yeah, the petting I'm getting right now is great, but what I want the most is some freaking mouthwash, Listerine, boiling water… anything.  I don't think the asshole has taken a shower in the past decade.  And now all of that disgusting, germy blood and skin is in my mouth.

The taste of blood sucks.  I have no idea why Bakura likes it so much.  Give me some red wine any day over this crap.

Joey's giving me another hug… I think I've died and gone to heaven.  This is certainly a wonderful feeling, being loved and needed.  Of course, I already had that with Mokuba… but the more the merrier, right?

_(Reviewers' Corner, again… this time with City, Bob, Otogi, Seto, Malik and Bakura!)_

Seto: HOW in the WORLD did I get dragged back into this exercise of futility?

City: We blackmailed you, reme-

Seto: YES!  I was being _sarcastic!_

Malik: *snickers*

Otogi: *reading transcripts of the RC from last few chapters* Uh, I should be scared now, right?

Bakura: *flatly* Yes, very scared.

City: *whaps Bakura* No, Otogi, you're going to be fine.  Just don't be too loud.

Otogi: …I think I can handle that.

Malik: *sing-song voice* My turn to mess with the Shadow Realm!

City: Yes, your turn.

Malik: BWAHAHAHA! *brandishes the millennium rod and pulls everyone along to the Shadow Realm*

Bob: *reads papers* Okay, first is Squirrel-HATER.  Gods help me.

Squirrel-HATER: Ello again!  At least you weren't hurting Joey this time which sucks.  LOL sorry, Joey.

Seto: *eyebrow twitches*

Squirrel-HATER: Ya and you made Master Yami TALK TO DOGS!  I HATE YOU!

City: o_O

Malik: He's not fit to be pharaoh, I tell you!  
Seto: He was talking to _me_, dammit. *mutters*

Squirrel-HATER: Please, that's the least of his worries.  Bakura's the hottest anyway!  So F* OFF GIRLS HE'S MINE!

Bakura: I knew I shouldn't have gotten out of bed this morning.

Squirrel-HATER: We loved the story and hope you update soon!  Yu-Gi-Oh for ever!

Bob: That was… deeply disturbing.  Let's go on to another, hopefully more normal, review.

Lime: This is such a great story.  Seto a dog… *snicker* Ha, good one!  I'd rather see Bakura and Ryou with tight jeans and no shirts!  Keep going.

Bakura: Hmm, maybe this won't be such a worthless day after all… *is wearing jeans*

Bob: *rolls his eyes* Next are more comments from HarpieLady456…

City: Oh!  *interrupts* By the way, HarpieLady… Thanks!  I knew I was missing something, but I couldn't place it… *worships*

HarpieLady456: HA!  The sight of Joey wet and shirtless doesn't faze me one bit.  I'm a Mokuba fan, so that made me cry!

Malik: It certainly fazed Kaiba-Boy… *snickers and runs*

Seto: WHAT? *chases Malik*

City:  I made someone cry…? x_X

HarpieLady456: Good job with some everyday details (the food thing).  This story is becoming more real every chapter.  Wat's gonna happen to his father?  *reads down farther* Never mind, it's a stupid question… I wuv dis story!

City: *wipes away grateful tears* They love me, they really love me…

Seto: *beating Malik up*

Bakura: *laughing at Malik*

Bob: *sweatdrops* You guys have no lives.  Next reviewer is Destiny.

Destiny: Nice puppy, cute doggy, now beg!  *demands a rollover from Kaiba the dirty doggy* ^_^

Seto: *freezes* …WHAT?

Destiny:  Now… suffer! *sends a violent kitty at Kaiba*

City: *zaps the kitty away* Grr.

Destiny/Maya: *whistles innocently as she accidentally throws kerosene all over Bakura and accidentally sets fire to him, screaming* YOU ARE NOT SEXY!  YOU'RE… er… YOU'RE FAT!

Bakura: *just stands there, smirking* Can't hurt me, City won't allow it.

Malik: Well, 'Kura, you _have_ put on a few pounds since Battle City…

Bakura: *glares*

Destiny: Like hikari, like yami… lousy copycat… *glares at Maya and how pathetic she is*

Bob: Wow, her split personalities are even worse than Ryou's.

Bakura: *plots against Bob*

Destiny/Maya: *sends a glare at her hikari, the author and the co-hosts*

All: *raise eyebrows*

Destiny: *cowers in fear while whimpering like a dog* Update!  Can I pet Seto-chan?!  And City, where's Ryou-chan?!  *gets teary-eyed and starts wailing like a baby but stops, sniffing her tears* And update too.

Seto: *ponders* Well, it's better than being hurt.  Yes, you can pet me.  Once.

Destiny: *pets Seto*

Seto: Moves away and rolls his eyes.

City: Ryou?  Hrm… I didn't plan to involve Ryou much in this fic, if at all.  If he does have any major role, it'll be near the end with Bakura.

Bob: Next is Malvolio1342.  Thank god.  I like this person.  This person is sane.  Say it with me, kids… _sane_.

Malvolio1342: It's my turn this time, not Fajra's.  Ok, your plot is really coming along smoothly, and really I started feeling sorry for Kaiba.  *whimpers* Poor Kaiba!  Go Kaiba for returning to normal!  And yay Yami for helping Kaiba a bit… and Jou for being a cool "master"… and yay Kaiba again for the nosebleed… sorry, I just can't help but say that… ~_^

Seto: *sweatdrops* Uh, thanks?

City: *beams* Danke!

Malvolio1342: There will be plenty of food and whatever else you want.  Seriously.  We'll get it if you want it… we throw enough parties to know how to hide stuff… Well, from "sadistic" Malvolio, safe journeys.

Malik: Yes, now go away.

City: *kicks Malik's shin* Be nice!

Bob: And another past reviewer, Saiyan-Kitsune-Foxfire.

Saiyan-Kitsune-Foxfire: Hehe, great chapter. *drools over keyboard imagining Joey shirtless* This story is great.  I know when Seto acts ashamed and all of the other emotions, I keep imagining my lab.  Dogs are such great companions and come up with the best expressions.  Please more soon.  Ja.

Otogi: *finally speaks up, blinking* Wow, that was actually… normal.

Bakura: *nods sagely* One of the few you'll see.  Now be quiet, Devlin.

Bob: *reads the list and groans* CowThreesome again… City, we have to censor this.  More character bashing.

City: *glares* I'll say this ONCE and only ONCE.  **NO CHARACTER BASHING!**  From now on, I will pass over reviews that bash characters completely, yes, even those that bash Tea/Anzu.  They will _not_ be shown in RC.

CowThreesome: …Go Malik and Bakura!  You evil sexy bastards!

Malik: Yes, go us. *poses sexily*

Bakura: *twirls a little blue Bakura flag, rolling his eyes* Go me.

Bob: Neko Kitty chan.  Ugh… I feel a hairball on its way…

NKC: O, I love this fic!  It's great!  I've seen tons of fics about Joey going dog and Kaiba saving him, etc, but never the other way around.  And damn, you update fast!  Which is good; most authors/authorists take a long time to update but not you!  Oh, and before I forget *hugs Bakura and Jou* Hehe, shexy men.

Bakura: *blinks*

Joey: Uh, how'd I get here? *confused*

Seto: I have no idea.  But save me.

NKC: Anyway, once again, LOVE the fic!  Please update soon! *steals crème puff from Bakura* Hehe, yummy.

Bakura: ACK!  BASTARD CHILD OF A DERANGED HIPPO!

Malik: Bakura sure does take his pastries seriously… o_O

Bob: Just two more… thank the gods…

Sera1: You know what's scary?  Seto reminds me of my family's puppy, who's a great dane/blue heeler mix.  Oh yeah, and dogs CAN open doors that you have to pull, if you show them how.  Herc (the mix) does it all the time, and our doxie would, too, if he wasn't too short.  Heck, our cats know how, too!

City: Er, cool, but I've never seen one that has.  And this is off of my experience.  But damn right, cats can open doors; mine drive me nuts doing it.

Seto: *mutters* I'm not a puppy, dammit.

Joey: You're _my_ puppy.

Bob: NEXT!  *glares* Oh, good stuff… many-time reviewer and supporter of City.

City: *beams*

Kashu: We all know ya like it, eh, Jouno?  You too, Kaiba.

Seto: *glares menacingly*

Joey: *blushes and glares*

Kashu: Anyways, I'm kinda mad at FF.N right now, 'cause it wouldn't let me see Chapter 6.  So, I cruised over here once I remembered you had it on your webpage.  So... Uhm... Yay.

City: Visit my lovely webpage!  www.angelfire.com/ego2/citybs!

Malik and Bakura: *point at City* SHAMELESS PLUG!

City: You know it, boys! ^_^

Kashu: So, uhm, yeah, feelings.  Happy.  Love it.  Just watched two hours of Daria... am in strange, blank Daria-induced mood.  But do continue.  I dun wanna see Mokuba cry... *sniffles*

Seto: Hrmpf.

City: The next chapter shall be… *drum roll*

Bob: *clears throat and looks at outline* Chapter eight… here we are.  We're going to take a break from the main storyline and give you the opinions of all the people in Yugi's house, just to see how you guys react.

City: Yeah, I tried the first-person thingy at the end of this chapter, and I think it worked out well!

Bob: *whispers* It was my idea…

City: *ignores Bob* R&R, people, I love you!  Hugs and kisses and plushies of your favorite bishies! *pokes Bob*

Bob: *sighs in a very put-upon sort of way, and hands out various plushies to reviewers* Enjoy.  You people are so incredibly childish…

City: *whaps Bob upside the head with her Seto plushie* Shush!

Otogi: Can I talk now?

Bakura: Yes.  Good job, Devlin. *pats Otogi on the head*

City: *sweatdrops*


	8. It's baaack

I'm… shocked. Astounded, in fact, that this fic got so many reviews in my absence, which I now feel entirely obligated to explain. :P

My computer fried.

Poof. Kaplooie. And other fun words of the sort. My stepfather was rewiring the house, and the house didn't approve, and so the circuit breaker exploded. This caused everything electronic that was in my house to be slammed with an unrestricted jolt of electricity, and this fried most equipment that was plugged in, including Our Faithful Joe II. So, I needed to buy a new computer. This took a while. Then I needed to recover my files from the OFJ-II. This took longer.

Then, Joe The Evil Dell decided to fry, and I had to repeat the process. Hopefully, at this point my computer situation is stable – and now that I've finally remembered my password, I can continue writing. Any suggestions for the next few chapters? I'm considering revamping the story in its entirety, hopefully to be decided/done within the week depending on how busy things turn out to be.

Lurve much,

City.

PS.

Oh, this should kill y'all – I actually did have the next two chapters written, but they were lost with Our Faithful Joe II.


	9. Thoughts

**Turning the Tables **

**_Chapter Eight: Thoughts_**

_AN: Yes, it's back. And hopefully, I'm going to be at least ninety percent back as well. However, I do need to get into the groove of writing Yu-Gi-Oh fanfics again if I'm going to finish TtT – and I'll be damned if I don't finish it! If anyone's got any suggestions for the next chapter, feel free to AIM me, Email me, or just review. Beware: My writing style's changed a bit. ;)_

___AN 2: Alright, it seemed like there's something funky with this file when I uploaded it - parts missing, stuff like that. I think I fixed it and rectified the formatting, but if not.. tell me:p And don't bite my head off. Not my fault!_

___Post Note: Alright, it's being fucktarded. So I replaced special characters with parentheses and spaces with (shift scene). Please ignore and treat as a doublestrike of the enter key, because you'd be as confused as fuck if you just read it without anything. Bah! It's also having issues with italics and /italics. Anyone else having this problem or know how to fix it so I don't kill someone first?_

_  
AIM: CityBS2006_

_____- Yami's POV- _

_____Seto's up to something. I can see it in the way he keeps looking around, like an asp choosing the best time and place to strike its victim. I can no longer clearly comprehend his surface thoughts, which have become far more ranged and… un-Kaiba-like in the last two hours than they have in the entire time he has been with us. My hikari is getting suspicious of my constant dodging of his questions in regards to the dog, and my cease in urgency regarding the swift location of Seto Kaiba. Despite my little hikari's innocence and skill, sometimes I think he's too smart for his own good._

_____The sky is bright tonight._

_____The air is clean and there are few clouds drifting across the evening sky, leaving the stars to twinkle down upon the sparkling city. Yugi decided that he and I should come up to the roof this night and stargaze, to allow Joey a bit of time to recuperate. Strangely enough, the stars I see above us this night don't look quite like the ones that normally shine down… nor do they look like any stars I've seen in many, many years._

_____I squint up at the sky again, my mind absently retracing patterns that were so familiar to me... patterns I thought lost to the world. The constellations of the gods – but, no, that can't be right. The stars seen in Egypt are drastically different from the ones here, or so my hikari tells me, and I have never known him to lie. This is very strange. Very strange, indeed…_

_____For the stars of the ancient gods to be seen is something rare, even in my homeland. Something is not right._

_____(Shift Scene) _

_Yugi glanced over; Yami looked preoccupied… he almost always did, yes, but he seemed more pensive than usual. Sitting there with that ponderous look on his face, with his lips curled slightly downward in a thin frown, Yami looked good enough to eat – but Yugi recognized that his Yami was thinking about something that was most likely important. On his part, Yugi was just relieved that Joey was safe from his father and that nothing terrible had happened._

_He leaned back on his sleeping bag, curling up against Yami and readjusting his overly-fluffed pillow while glancing upwards, following the spirit's gaze up to the heavens. Maybe Yami missed his home, back in Egypt, and his time as the Pharaoh; a god in his own right, a god that walked the earth with mankind._

_Choosing to leave such musings to a later date, the little hikari snuggled up against Yami again and tried to engage him in conversation. When Yami declined and started to deny and avoid his questions once again, Yugi rolled his eyes with a smile and fell quiet, just resting against the spirit happily._

_____(Shift Scene) __  
_

_Within the house, Joey lay on the bed in the guestroom with Seto curled up against him, the dog snoring lightly and looking too cute for words. The blonde lifted a hand and ran it through his hair, staring blankly at the ceiling above him._

_____He's really gone?_

_Seto shifted a little, rolling partially onto his back and jutting a huge-pawed front leg out into the air before draping it across Joey's chest, yawning and hitting the boy with a fresh blast of dog breath. Wrinkling his nose but far from upset, Joey hugged the dog closer against him, causing the dog's tail to whip back and forth despite his slumber._

_____He won't be after me anymore?_

_The blonde's hand flicked lightly against one of the cuts on the side of his forehead caused by the latest episode with his father back at their apartment, eliciting a small flinch from the teen. Joey's eyes focused on his hand – it was trembling._

_____I won't need to be afraid of going home?_

_It was sinking in, slowly but surely, that Joey wasn't going to have to live out the rest of his childhood under the brutal thumb of his deadbeat father. Which, of course, begged the next question._

___'__Where am I going to live?'_

_Next to him, Seto shifted a little and lifted his head to stare at Joey with sleepy blue eyes, yawning once. "Sorry, pup… didn't mean t'say that out loud and wake ya up," Joey murmured, reaching over to ruffle the dane's ears fondly. The dog made a 'tch' sound, causing the blonde to raise an eyebrow. "Yanno, sometimes it almost feels like y' can understand me, Seto."_

_With those thoughts on his mind, Joey rolled himself up a little more in the sheets, letting the big canine creep up a little closer. As the blonde's hair hit the pillow, so too did the dog's nose. "It's good to have you as a friend, Seto. I just wish the real Kaiba'd act so nice-like," Joey said as he shut his eyes, curling an arm around his dog._

_____(Shift Scene) _

_Painful. So very painful was that last statement of Joey's, a barb that cut right to Seto's heart. Was he really that bad to the mutt? Was he really so cruel that everyone thought him some kind of vicious bastard? Sure, he might be an aggressive businessman, but that didn't mean he wasn't a generally good-hearted guy. Did it?_

_He pulled both paws up to rest them on the pillow, propping his chin up over his 'wrists' with a thoughtful expression, frowning as much as his loose canine lips would allow. And Mokuba… poor Mokuba, all alone in that mansion, fending off the corporate slime that was doubtlessly demanding to know where he was and when he was coming back, looking for a chink in the Kaiba armor to devastate the company, the Kaiba reputation, and the Kaiba family…_

_Well, he wouldn't allow it to continue. If anything, he was doubly determined to prevent any harm from coming to Mokuba – and Joey, too. The mutt really deserved credit for handling himself the way he did, what with his father and all. Seto could surely relate, for being Gozaburo's son was no picnic._

_He was Seto Kaiba, dammit! He didn't take shit from anyone, and neither did the people he cared for!_

_Contented with his mental rant, Seto tilted his head to the side, contemplating the blond boy who was now lightly dozing next to him, well on his way to a deep, restful slumber. A somewhat softer look permeated the billionaire dog's electric blue eyes as he gazed at Joey, and a moment later he leaned over to lick the blonde's face once; gently, to ensure that he wouldn't wake up. Then Kaiba settled back down, ready to sleep himself. As he neared the brink between wakefulness and sleep, he could've sworn he heard someone laughing – someone who sounded quite like himself – but then darkness took him, lowering his eyelids into relieved, exhausted sleep._

_____(Shift Scene) __  
_

_In a distant place, far from the Motou house and from the world as Seto Kaiba knew it, a young man was sitting on a long golden divan padded with soft silk, his back propped up on a selection of fine pillows stitched with the finest threads. The man's skin was tanned a dark, dark bronze, and he was lean and almost catlike in body and movement. His clothes were fairly sparse – a tunic and a robe – but the dark bluish-purple fabric of each article was accented with golden plating and embroidery. Bands of polished gold were clasped around his arms just beneath his shoulders, and his forearms were wrapped in gold cuffs as well._

_The man smiled as he looked into a small silver bowl beside him, viewing the reflection of a blonde haired youth and a dog curled up against each other. The man ran slender fingers through his chocolate brown hair, and smiled. His electric blue eyes were focused with a sharp edge, and they rested under a dark brow. He tapped his smooth chin after a moment, then chuckled. Good. Finally, that brat was getting some sense into his head. It looked like his plans were working, at least for the time being._

_**-Joey's POV-**_

_____It's dark, but there is light. I'm standing, but I don't know what I'm standing on. My eyes are open, but I'm not seeing anything. It's so very, very hot… but I feel like an icy chill just ran down my entire body… my soul, even._

_____There's a light…!_

_____I turn my head towards it, and I can finally see… something. No, someone. There's a guy coming towards me. A tall guy, too. He even seems kind of familiar, even though I can't see his face – the light's coming from behind him._

___"__Joey Wheeler."_

_____He knows my name. That's kind of strange, but I am a duelist and the right-hand buddy of Yugi Motou, so maybe it's not impossible. The man holds his hand out towards me, stopping a few yards away._

___"__Joey Wheeler."_

_____I frown; I hate guys who repeat themselves too much. But he looks kind of… inviting, actually. I can't really see, but I think he's smiling. And he looks warm. I start walking towards him – what've I got to lose, anyway?_

_____Okay, so I find out I'm walking on sand. Black sand; sand as fine as flour. As I get closer to the guy, he moves back – but he's not actually moving. He's just kinda… gliding. He's still holding his hand out to me, but I can see now that he's grinning. Grinning like he's laughing at me._

_____His face isn't his face any more, or maybe it never was. Now it's Kaiba's face, and he really is laughing at me…!_

_____I clench my fists, and the image of Kaiba grows larger, still laughing that cold, hard laugh he's got. The sand suddenly pours out from below me, like it was going into an hourglass, and I'm falling – and he's still laughing._

_____Then everything's black for a little while. When things finally get light again, I'm standing in a room; a real fancy room, too, like you'd find in an office building. And there's a little kid with dark brown hair standing in front of a desk, and a big beefy guy in a swiveling chair in front of him, shouting loudly. The kid's head is bent, like he doesn't have a friend in the world, and he's got this look on his face that I sometimes used to get with my dad._

___"__You'll never be a Kaiba! You always let yourself get in the way!"_

_____The old guy's yelling at the kid some more, and this time I can actually make out what he's saying. Wait – Kaiba? The kid says something back, real snappish, too – and the guy gets up and starts going at the kid like he's just a little worm and he wants to stamp him out of the world for good. The kid's not even screaming…_

_____(Shift Scene) ______  
_

_Joey woke up with a start, breathing heavily and drenched in cold sweat. Where was he? Was he safe? What happened to that kid? Was it really Kaiba? Was-_

_Suddenly, Joey's train of thought was cut brutally short. He blinked several times, and stared down at his lap. Halfway draped across it with both paws – arms! – wrapped around his midsection, head snuggled in against the blonde's stomach, was none other than the missing billionaire, Seto Kaiba._

_Things like this called for quick decisions, and Joey made one: he screamed._

_(RC, with Bakura, Seto, and Yami! Newly shortened for space's sake; reviews chosen at random.)_

_City: Alright, that was probably extremely confusing. Trust me, I confuse myself sometimes._

_Bob: Fft._

_Bakura: On to the reviews?_

_City: Yes, on to the reviews._

_MrPointyHorns: I want a blue Bakura flag. Just to let you know. If you wanted to know._

_Bakura: Of course you want a blue Bakura flag! (whips out collection and gives MPH one)_

_MrPointyHorns: Great work on the fic. Well written. Very cute, just like a puppy's should be._

_Seto: Psh._

_MrPointyHorns: There were two muffins and they were put in an oven to bake, and one muffin said to the other, "Gee, it's getting hot in here." And the second muffin said, "Holy crap, a talking muffin!" Do you know the Muffin Man?_

_Bakura: Well, yeah, there are talking muffins. Didn't you know that? And of course I know the Muffin Man._

_Yami: …_

_Seto: o.O_

_City: Right. I'm going to just not think about Bakura and muffins ever again. I don't want to know. On to the next one, Bob the Mighty!_

_Icy Flame: Love the story. It's great. I haven't read anything where Seto gets turned into a dog. I like the originality of it all. Plus it's just too cute! I mean we only torture the characters we love! Hehe, sorry. I still love the scene where he gets a nosebleed while Joey's changing, hehe. Ah that still cracks me up._

_Seto: …_

_Yami: …_

_City: (grins)_

_Icy Flame: I also like the lil touch of Yami knowing that it's Seto. I feel real bad for Mokie though. I almost pissed myself with the kibble bit, scraping the bacon grease in his pan. Ah, poor Seto! (grins)_

_Seto: (splutters)_

_Yami: I'm a genius. Hasn't anyone figured this out yet?_

_Icy Flame: (glomps author, waves)_

_City: (glomped!)_

_Brittany: I loved your story, City. But, you should put a little bit more Joey x Kaiba fluff. But it was good overall!_

_Seto: You can stuff that fluff where the sun don't-_

_Bakura: Be nice to reviewers! (slaps hand over Seto's mouth)_

_Neko Kitty Chan: (pets Seto) There there, puppy. It'll be okay._

_Seto: (sits through the petting with an evil look)_

_Neko Kitty Chan: You'll get back into your nice rich sexy body soon. (reaches for Seto's wallet) Ermm, great chapter, really getting into this fic._

_Seto: Hands. Off. The. Money. MINE. But yes. I do have a nice, rich, sexy body._

_Neko Kitty Chan: I have one question for you though. Can I kill Joey's dad? I promise it won't be messy and I'll clean up all the evidence!_

_City: Unfortunately, no. As cool and awesome as it would be to have Mr. Wheeler brutally beaten to death by a rabid fangirl, I have for him other… plans. Bwa. Take it away, Bobbie!_

_Bob: (sighs) Alright. Read, review, do fun things, drool over Kaiba and Joey. Done? Good. Next chapter should be coming soon, with any luck. No previews for you! Tell us what you think should happen next!_


End file.
